Chasing Shadows
by BeingShortRocks
Summary: From Natsu spitting every damn curse he could, to Gray hanging from the window trying to shoot the tires of their followers and on top of that not knowing where Igneel was hit and how lethal was the hit, Leo had every right to panic, but he didn't. He had lived long enough in a field where every day could be your last. /AU/


The sweet smell of breakfast being cooked filled Natsu's nostrils as he stirred on the uncomfortable sofa. Opening his eyes, emerald green connected with a pair of light brown peering down on him. A squeal, that could have pierced his ears, sounded and a minute later he was engulfed in a bear hug that took his breath away.

"Mum! Natsu is awake!" The six-year-old yelled happily as she continued strangling her brother.

"Wendy, I can't breathe!" The man struggled under the weight of his little blue haired sister and her dangerous hugs.

"Wendy, let go of your brother. I believe he's turning a little blue." Another blue-haired lady entered the room, chuckling at the sight of her two kids. The child let go rather reluctantly, and rushed to the infirmary where her father and aunt were.

"Good morning sweetie. How are you?" The mother greeted her son with a kiss on the forehead, sitting down next to him and offering him a cup of coffee.

"Could have woken up better." He muttered, taking a sip from the beverage and relishing in the rich flavour.

"Why did you come?" He questioned as another squeal was heard from the infirmary and a loud thud was heard; Wendy had discovered Loke's existence.

"Your aunt called earlier complaining about four insufferable men sprawled all over her house, ricking testosterone." The woman tried not to convey how worried she was, hiding her true emotions behind a practised mask. She was aware though, that right now her son needed her and that they had many things to discuss.

"I talked to your father earlier. He told me that you learned about Kyôka." Natsu's eyes snapped up at the mention of his wife, examining his mother and the way all her features saddened making her seem more aged than she was. Devastating memories resurfaced in his minds from last night's meeting. The words hurtful, feeling like he was stabbed on the gut multiple times.

_"If I remember correctly your son married four years ago, right? Such a shame I couldn't attend the wedding." The projection showed images from Natsu's wedding, too close for a paparazzi to acquire or even a family member to shoot. _

_"His bride. A sweet, loving girl he met during his last year of college. Beautiful green hair, captivating blue eyes and of course a curvaceous hourglass figure; I'm sure Natsu you have lots of fun every now and then." Both Dragneel's looked more enraged, each time a new photo was displayed._

_"Falling in love though, can and will destroy a man. You have experience from your first son Igneel don't you? I hope Zeref is faring well inside the mansion." The projector now produced images of Natsu's older brother inside their home, starring at a photo of his deceased wife._

_"So, Dragneel Junior, fell in love. Captivated by the perfect beauty, Kyôka. The two got married and led a happy life. All that changes today though." If it was possible Mard's smirk got wider; waves of cockiness rolling of him as he prepared for the last revelation._

_"I admit Kyôka Etherious is great woman, if not for her more sadistic side." The childish glee portraited on the face of the woman he loved, as she unflinching tortured man after man with her experiments, caused a wave of nausea to wash over Natsu. The man couldn't believe his eyes. He internally could only hope that the images were fake. For him, his wife was a saint, always there for him when he got home._

_"The best part though is her ability to gather intel. Lots and lots of information on my biggest rival and the source? His beloved son." Mard couldn't contain his excitement, watching his enemy's son looking so betrayed and confused._

"We didn't wanna keep it a secret for so long, but you were so happy. She was being watched all those years, yet we couldn't find a single lead that she was the informant."

"I understand that. Why keep it a secret though? I could have helped. Search for leads myself. I was with her almost all the time. I could have been more cautious with what I talked about with her." The pink haired put his coffee down and turned fully towards Grandeen. He studied the woman closely, trying to make her look him in the eyes, yet she had them cast downwards. She was not proud of her husband's decision to keep Natsu in the dark. As his wife though, she tried to support him, even if it pained her to see her child hurting now. It was too late to feel remorseful, she decided internally.

"If you have closed off, wouldn't it be suspicious? Please understand that we couldn't have done something else. We were wrong, but nothing can be changed now." The woman caressed her son's cheek affectionately pressing a kiss on top of his head as she headed to the kitchen.

Natsu was left contemplating what his mother told him. It was a bit logical to keep him in the dark and not risk making Kyôka suspicious that she was watched. On the other hand, it saddened him that they couldn't trust him enough. His thoughts were dismissed as an exhausted Gray strutted in, dressed only in his underwear and plopped right into the sofa next to him.

"I adore your sister dearly, but her squeals can raise even the dead." He mumbled, throwing a hand over his eyes to block the sun that got in from the window. He and Loke had decided to be on the lookout and even if he had won the guest room on last night's game of rock, paper, scissors, he did not manage to rest.

_From Natsu spitting every damn curse he could, to Gray hanging from the window trying to shoot the tires of their followers and on top of that not knowing where Igneel was hit and how lethal was the hit, Leo had every right to panic, but he didn't. He could keep his composure, he was used to this kind of situations, he had lived long enough in a field where every day could be your last._

_"Leo!" The shout from Igneel brought him back to reality and he had just enough time to maneuver the car out of the incoming rocket coming their way._

_"Loke! Speed up to the nearest hospital! Dad needs help!" Natsu's order was not one he could follow._

_"We can't risk going to a hospital and having to explain what happened. Someone won't make it alive and since the area is under Mard's influence, we will be the ones." Leo tried to reason with Natsu as much as he could, while driving and searching for a solution._

_"Call Porlyusica and explain what is going on." The command came through gritted teeth from Igneel, but it was more logical than Natsu's._

_Grabbing Gray by his belt, when he had to take a sharp turn to avoid another incoming rocket, the ginger haired pulled him inside. _

The raven haired winced when he tried to scratch the back of his head. When Loke had yanked him inside the car, he hit his head on the car's window, yet inside all the ruckus it was his last concern to check it out.

"Oh my! Gray dear, put on some clothes. We have underaged people running around in the house." Grandeen scolded when she noticed the underdressed man sitting on the sofa as she entered the room. Said man fell off the couch in surprise when he was addressed, hurrying to find his clothes as he mumbled a series of apologies.

"Mama look! Aunty let me take care of Loke! Now he is well again!" An excited Wendy entered the room dragging by the hand Leo, who was covered in bandages, but nonetheless eager enough to play along.

"I'm sure dear that you did a great job healing Leo." The mother stated proudly as she ruffled her daughter's hair, sending the orange haired man a grateful smile for his patience. Loke was a genius mechanic under their service, even before he finished college.

"You ungrateful and insufferable brat! If it wasn't for my sister, I would have let you die all those times that you came begging to be treated! Can't you for once take care of yourself!? Stop moving! I'll have to redo your stitches! If I hear one more wince, you are dead!" Hearing the doctor, cursing Igneel and threatening to kill him was a good sign that their boss was doing fine. That is if he didn't anger Porlyusica a lot. Grandeen smiled behind her cup of coffee, while the men winced when a certain threat about castration was thrown in.

"He's good as knew! Waking me up at four in the morning, having me treat him and how does he thank me? He fills my house with other of his kind, making my house full of testosterone! They'll be my end! Take them all and leave! I can't stand them anymore!"

The door of the infirmary was yanked open, as the pink haired doctor stormed out, waving a broom hysterically and looking like a witch. It left all present wondering how she and Grandeen were sisters. The one was loud and couldn't stand anyone, while the other was calm and friendly.

"Now, now sister... Give them a minute to collect themselves. As soon as they finish their breakfast, we'll leave you alone." Grandeen assured her by rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Do as you please. Just don't let them die on the way back. I don't want to be the one treating them!" Even though her tone sounded like she didn't give a penny for their health, Porlyusica was concerned. She never refused to treat them, no matter how many times they came rushing for her aid.

_"First of all, call the doc and explain what's going on. We need protection and medical help now!" Leo instructed the raven-haired man, who just now noticed that the boss was injured._

_"Second, where in Hell are your clothes?" Having addressed the elephant in the car, Leo heard Igneel letting a small pained chuckle as Gray just looked down to confirm the absence of his jacket and shirt._

_"Somewhere on the..." The answer was cut off as a harsh, feminine voice was heard from his phone. _

_"It's four in the morning and if you don't need anything, I'm ending the call!" _

_"We are being chased by two cars and Igneel is hurt. We need help asap!" Gray's explanation was finished with a grunt as the driver entered the fields, making the car follow a bumpier path._

_"You insufferable men! Why can't you stay out of trouble for once? If I have to patch you up one more time I'm quitting!" _

_Gray removed the phone from his ear as the woman started screaming and cursing, but if it meant that she'll help, he didn't dare end the call._

_"You know where to go! I'll have someone deal with the cars." The call ended, but at least they had help coming. _

_Speeding up, Leo was not thrilled to see the two cars close behind. It wasn't far from the Doc's house, he had entered the fields to arrive there faster, knowing that she'll not refuse to help. Wanting to test a new installation he personally designed, he pressed a small button under the wheel and the car just flew forward._

_At the same time, a loud boom was heard, making everyone look back to see a rocket flying over a little forest on the east. It created a small rainbow of smoke and finally landed in middle of the two cars following them. Porlyusica had some powerful contacts._

An hour later everyone was ready to go. Grandeen had driven from the mansion early in the morning alone, so now they could divide in two cars. Gray was told to go with Grandeen and Wendy, while Loke would stay with the others.

"See you at home Dad!" Wendy shouted from the window as Gray drove past Leo's car. Igneel waved back at his daughter, smiling warmly and making sure to not strain his side much.

"Let's go Loke." The boss ordered, calling in the driver who was trying to inspect the damage done to his car; If he could cry a river, he would.

The ride was calm, nothing like the previous night when they were being chased. The weather was rather good, cloudy with a chance of rain, fitting for the season.

_Leo moved to open the door for Igneel, when the sound of a gun going off filled the air. Immediately, they sprang into action. Igneel was rushed in and Leo had just enough time to avoid an incoming bullet as he entered the car. He was thankful for the bulletproof glass he ordered for the car._

_Starting the engine, he cursed seeing that from the fields behind them two other cars were coming. __Reaching the highest speed, he could in such short notice, the tires screeched as he turned for the main road, raising a big cloud of dust in the process._

_It wasn't like they hadn't expected an ambush. How could they predict though, that Mard will have two other cars with him and that they would go unnoticed by the radar? _

_Checking from the mirror, he internally cursed when he noticed the two shooters, one from each car, firing continuously. Hearing a grunt from the backseat, his attention shifted to the blood soaking Igneel's shirt. The boss was hit and they were in the middle of nowhere._

"We'll be stopping first by Natsu's house." Igneel announced as they entered Magnolia. The driver nodded and sent a message to Gray, informing him of their change in route.

"Why not take you back home first?" The pink haired questioned, not filling as queasy as yesterday, due to some medicines his aunt gave him.

"You'll gather your clothes and personal belongings and come back at the mansion. I don't want any of my children out of the house during this time." The reply was firm, leaving no room for arguments.

"I can take care of myself just fine! I'm thirty-four not four!" Natsu, as temperamental as always, took offence from his father's words. Also, yesterday's revelations about his wife and the fact they kept him in the dark, only added to his irritation.

"No matter how old you are, you still are my son and you'll abide by my rules. If I tell you to return home, you'll come back! We won't risk your life because of your stubbornness!" Igneel's voice rose at the end, trying to convey an even more authoritative tone.

His son gritted his teeth, trying to hold back an argument. As things were, fighting with his father wouldn't help the situation. They didn't have time for silly arguments and Igneel was right to want everyone home. Even if Natsu most of the time appeared as naive and impulsive, he did have a mind.

Stopping outside a massive skyscraper, the three men excited the car. Getting inside would have been easier if not for the swarm of paparazzi outside. All three were puzzled by their appearance and Loke tried to do his best fending them off.

"Mister Dragneel! Is it true that your wife abandoned you due to disloyalty?" The pink haired man stopped dead in his tracks hearing that question. Turning to the reporter, his glare must have been fiercer than he thought, seeing as the man backed away.

"Could you repeat that?" Maybe stopping right in front of the building and dealing with the paparazzi wasn't his best idea. Considering though that in less than twenty-four hours, he had learned that his wife was a spy and now that she abandoned him because of disloyalty, he didn't give a penny about his father's prompting for dealing with them later.

"Earlier in the morning, your wife during miss Seilah's talk show, appeared without her wedding ring. When addressed about it, she stated that sometimes men don't feel satisfied just with their wife and then refused to address the matter anymore. Do you have anything to add?"

Hearing the explanation from the reporter, Natsu wanted to facepalm. During the ruckus, he forgot that Kyôka was invited to a morning talk show due to a fundraiser they would hold next week.

"I won't be addressing the matter any time soon." That sentence created chaos, as everyone kept throwing him questions as he tried to enter the building. Inside the elevator, the tension could be cut with a knife. Natsu felt both betrayed and angered about the situation, clenching and unclenching his fists to hold back his rage.

As soon as the ding was heard and he could finally step foot in his house, he grabbed the first thing he could and threw it on the wall, getting a bit of satisfaction from watching the vase turn to thousands of crystals. Tearing apart pillows, breaking vase after vase and punching every item that filled his eyesight, led him to their bedroom. At the sight of the bed he shared so many intimate and happy moments with her, his rage amplified.

It was way later when curled on the floor by the bed, clutching a photo of their wedding, his head finally cleared. His knuckles were split and his palms slit open by the glass shards of the photo in his hands. The mattress was upside down and the room was filled with feathers from the pillows. The curtain was on the floor and the window was reduced to smithereens. His head was hurting, his heart felt shattered and his tears wouldn't stop streaming. Why him?

Deciding to get his bearings together, he stood up rather mechanically and opened the closet. It didn't surprise him the absence of her belongings. Taking out a suitcase he started throwing in everything, not really thinking whether or not they would be of use.

Having finished with the suitcase, he looked one last time at their bedroom. Grabbing the broken photo, he had deposited on the floor, he in one last moment of rage threw it on the wall, taking an unexpected pleasure from hearing it shatter.

Exiting the room, he locked eyes with his father. The man looked tired, like he was all this time crying along with his son. He was holding a glass of scotch and Natsu found what he craved that moment; a touch of alcohol to mend his broken hurt.

Slowly, he left the suitcase by the door and went for his mini bar. Grabbing the bottle and a glass, he let the latter shatter on the floor as he downed the contents of his favourite brand. The taste was bitter, fitting for his mood, burning his mouth as it went down and slowly with every gulp taking away his pain. Opening another bottle, he went to follow the same route, but a hand removed it from his grasp before he could fulfil his desires.

_The pink haired sighed as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the nausea and think a little straighter. First of all, his father was injured; the most worrisome matter for him because he didn't want to lose him. Secondly, he was almost blasted by rockets from Tartarus, definitely Jackal's doing. Thirdly, Porlyusica was going to skin them alive and last but not least, his wife wasn't who he thought she was but a sadist working for Tartarus._

_That last one had him the most troubled. He had met Kyôka during college and they had clicked. He fell in love and he thought she did too and he wanted to marry her so he did. He was happy to wake up every morning and see her next to him and never had he considered she was the cause of the leaks of information. The fact his father hadn't looked a bit surprised when Mard revealed it, proved that he knew something. What else where they hiding from him?_

_"How long did you know about Kyôka?" Natsu studied the two, who exchanged a quick look._

_"Boss assigned us to watch over her a little over a year after your marriage." Gray's answer was filled with tiredness. After all they went through the last thing, he needed was more drama._

_"Why the hell nobody told me? I was living with her, I woke up next to her, I wanted to return to her every chance I got and all of that to find out she's a damn spy? She was pretending all those years just for the information! What am I? Everyone's plaything? You let me fall in love, marry and then hide the fact I'm living with the enemy?"_

_Natsu's outburst was expected and the two men could only watch as he kept on monologuing. It was true that not informing Natsu was cruel for him, but Igneel wanted to be sure about Kyôka before endangering his son's happiness._

_"Do you take me for such a fool or my own Dad doesn't trust me at all with the business? I was the one digging further in order to learn where in hell he disappeared every night! I conformed him about it and what did a get in return!? Let's hide from Natsu that his wife is a fucking traitor!" Both men looked down as Natsu went on and on, finally letting all night's frustrations out. It was understandable and if they were in his place, they didn't know how they would have reacted._

Onyx eyes met forest green; a shame to be just a coincidence they shared similar eye colour, he thought. Maybe Igneel picked deliberately the kid with green eyes from the orphanage. "Son, let's go home."

Home. What a strange word. When he was seven, home was with his parents and Zeref. When he was ten home became the orphanage. When he was fourteen, home took the form of a family. Igneel, Grandeen, Zeref and much later Wendy, he and his brother were lucky to be adopted at their age. For the last four years, home was with his wife, but now it didn't feel like that.

He didn't remember leaving the penthouse and getting in the car. Nor did he notice when the scenery changed and the busy streets at the centre of Magnolia changed to the sparsely inhabited suburbs.

He did notice when the car stopped though and his door was opened. He took in the form of the woman he considered his mother all those years, waiting right outside of the mansion. She had grown over the twenty years he knew her. Getting out of the car, he found himself engulfed in the warmest of hugs.

"Let's get you cleaned up dear." His mother tenderly ushered him inside. Her eyes stung from unshed tears as she felt how lifelessly he walked beside her. The scent of alcohol reminding her of when Zeref had almost gotten severely sick when he constantly indulged himself in any kind of alcoholic beverage, he could get his hands on, after Mavis death. When Natsu stumbled on the last step of the stairs, she was there to hold him firmly and make sure he stayed on his feet.

"Thank you… I… I can do it alone from here." Grandeen wanted to smile when Natsu squished her hand and made his way towards his old room on his own, yet the slight stumble on his step and the loud bang that was heard as he closed the door wiped her hopes out.

During dinner the tension could be cut with a knife. Grandeen was trying to distract herself by encouraging Wendy to eat vegetables, Igneel had a glass of wine or two more than he should and Natsu was playing with his food. A worrying scene since all those years his stomach was a black hole. Zeref hadn't come down yet, something they were used to by now; it was always a mystery whether he'll make an appearance or not.

"We're here!" All eyes turned to the door, were Zeref was standing along with assistant Lucy. Of course, the female had announced their appearance, since the raven-haired man rarely spoke without being directly addressed. Igneel eyes shot open at their appearance and Grandeen's lips formed a small hopeful grin. It was a good sign that her oldest son appeared, even if it seemed that Lucy was being a bit more nudging today.

"It's good we're all here for a change." The patriarchs attempt at lightening the mood was not fruitful. Lucy was the one trying to give some comfort to the red-haired man by offering him a smile. She had been employed by him as Zeref's caretaker; a position that for Igneel covered too many aspects of their everyday life.

Igneel studied his children closely. It didn't matter that none of them were biologically his. He loved them all three dearly. When he and Grandeen learned that he couldn't have kids, they decided to create the large family they wanted through adoption. The first two were Natsu and Zeref, when he was thirty and his wife only twenty-eight. Then came Wendy, who they adopted only six years prior, when she was just a baby.

All of them had grown tremendously, but seeing the two hurting, made him feel helpless. Zeref had lost his wife five years ago, during a car accident and now Natsu was caught up in a gigantic mess.

"Natsu, won't you eat dear?" Grandeen's touch on his shoulder, shook the pink haired out of his trance. It brought him back to reality and as he looked around, seeing everyone even little Wendy watching him, he nodded his head and took a small bite of his food. Was it his imagination or did the food taste like mud?

"I have an announcement to make." The sentence came from the black-haired man sitting at the end of the table. It shocked everyone that Zeref spoke without being directly addressed, since he had been withdrawing to himself as the years had gone by. Only Lucy wasn't that shocked. The two had talked much these days and even his psychologist had advised he takes small steps in opening up once again.

"I wish to return to the company." If they had been shocked before, now their jaws hit the floor. Their first son had retired after Mavis' death, closing himself in the sanctuary of the big mansion to mourn alone.

"Honey that's wonderful!" His mother exclaimed joyfully, thanking the God that her child was showing signs of healing.

"Indeed, it is, but way so unexpectedly?" His father required, as he locked eyes with his first son. A spare glance at the blond woman sitting next to him confirmed his suspicions that she did in fact know of his intentions. She looked quite proud of her friend and her eyes shone with a bit of hope.

"I've been contemplating it for a while. With everything that happened, I think you'll need all the help you can get father." Zeref rarely addressed Igneel like that, preferring to use his name. He was grateful for the man for adopting him when he was seventeen, but his dad was one and deceased.

"Then we could arrange your return. Natsu could take some time off and you take over some of his responsibilities." Natsu's head shot up at the suggestion. If it was one thing, he didn't want to give up was his responsibilities, especially now that they were threatened by Tartarus.

"Wait! I don't wanna take some time off. The company is in danger and I'm not going to sit with my hands crossed." The red-haired was relieved that Natsu didn't want to stay home. He feared that his son would follow his brother footsteps, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Then tomorrow we'll all go to the company and start planning our next move. Tartarus must…"

"Wait! We'll talk in private!" Natsu's sudden outburst confused them all. He had never acted like that before.

"We are in private right now, dear." Grandeen watched as her son's eyes darted towards Lucy, trying to gauge her reaction. The woman though continued nibbling on her food as though nothing happened; a common behaviour for her.

"But she's here!" His words reminded that of a snake's hiss; full of venom and so hushed that they would have gone unnoticed by half of the table if they weren't paying attention to him.

"Son, Lucy is with us for almost five years."

"And Kyôka was four, but not on our side. How do you know she's not a fucking spy? You hired a random nurse to take care of Zeref and now you trust her with everything?" Natsu admits that he didn't know Lucy that much. They met rarely when he visited and the times, they had spoken she was always professional. For all he knew she could be another spy.

The silence that followed his outburst made him realize one thing. They were once again hiding something from him. Somewhere out in the vast universe some God decided to play with him these days.

"Natsu, I believe you have misunderstood my role beside your brother all those years." His eyes narrowed dangerously when she decided to speak. His nostrils flared in anger seeing her so calm and composed, while he was boiling in his own blood.

"Then explain yourself, Miss Nurse. What is your role?" Natsu was vaguely aware that Grandeen left from the table, announcing that it was bed time for Wendy, when he stood up. He was studying the blond like she was a prey and he a hungry wolf.

"When I was employed, I knew Mr Dragneel's dealings, since I too have once been in a similarly operating family. I own your father a lot and the least I could do was pledge loyalty. I came to love this family though and I care deeply enough for all of its members to genuinely want their safety." Her professional tone gritted on his nerves as he made his way closer to her. She remained still and unwavering, not backing down or showing signs of fear.

"Natsu what you're doing is pointless. Sit back down to finish your dinner." Igneel's firm tone did not waver Natsu. He was determined to unravel the true colours of this woman.

"What will you reveal next Princess? Maybe you're a trained assassin too? You have your own little group of law enforcing agents? Or even better you are related to the Queen!"

"Are we playing two truths and a lie now?" The salmon- haired man internally cursed at the comment. The woman was indeed a mystery. He had so many chances of getting to know her over the years yet he hadn't used none. He felt like an idiot for not being there more often, but instead focused on his wife and work.

He hadn't realised he had reached so close to her, until Zeref raised his hands to push him back. It was then he knew he had let his anger take over him. Mumbling a goodbye, he left the room to clean his head. He had many things that had to be put in order.

The sky was unusually clear, making the stars shine bright on the sky. The silence was calming and the slight breeze, even though a bit chilly, soothed his nerves. Lost in thoughts about his life the past years, he didn't notice when his brother plopped down next to him, nursing a bottle of his favourite wine.

Zeref didn't spoke at first, content on letting his ruby eyes roam the vast starry sky. He could at some point understand what his brother was going through. He had also lost his wife and even if he knew that Mavis would never come back, he still didn't want to believe it.

"You should talk with Lucy at some point. She's a kind woman, a good friend. She helped me a lot." In his slightly drunk state Natsu couldn't do more than nod. He knew he had exerted his limits and should have cut off the alcohol a long time ago, yet the numbing feeling it provided him was very much welcomed.

"Maybe…I will…" Even to his own ears those words were unintelligible. It was time to head to bed, he decided. His older brother let him struggle to get up for a while, he was not ready to get in like Natsu. The raven-haired man sighed and with a tired yawn, got on his feet, albeit a bit tipsy and headed inside, supporting his unstable brother the whole time.

Back in the mansion, Igneel and Grandeen were sitting at the study. The latter was watching the two men at the garden from the window, while the other was talking on the phone. Hearing a sigh, the blue haired woman walked to her husband, trying to sooth his nerves by rubbing his shoulders.

"What did they say?" She questioned as she kissed him on top of his head.

"I'll be meeting tomorrow with the Queen." Grandeen frowned when her husband leaned forward, supporting his head in both hands and exhaling a deep breath.

"Isn't that good?"

"I don't think it is. I believe she won't give much consideration to the matter. She just took over, her only concerns are how to please the citizens with celebrations, parades, new buildings... I'm pretty sure Mard thought of it. Now, if he also knows that we support the S.A.F. in secret, he could turn all big criminals against us."

The S.A.F. was the Secret Agency of Fiore. Igneel was forced to work for them, when important information that could sentence him and his family in a lifetime in prison was leaked. That meant his time as a criminal had to come to an end.

The company took a turn. Preserving important contacts for info and faking big and attention worthy crimes, Igneel had kept a façade of a dangerous and feared crime lord. In reality, he provided the S.A.F. with information on the most dangerous criminals that could pose a threat for the public and assisted in their imprisonment.

Sometimes, he could arrange a deal and have some off them work for him to atone for their crimes. For example, a man sentenced in prison could work at Dragneel Corporation and through hard work and completing some "missions", lessen his sentence.

That was how they had been working for the past years and if Mard knew it, it would turn everyone against him. That put his side in danger, because even if Igneel had some trustworthy contacts, they weren't enough to fend off a powerful enemy like Tartarus.

"Let's have faith that she won't act like that. Go meet with her tomorrow and we'll see how to go on." Grandeen did not like all the uncertainty that followed their movements. It felt like they were walking blindfolded in a minefield.

"I want you to promise me something." Standing up, Igneel grasped his wife's hands, kissing her knuckles and gaining her full attention.

"If anything happens, you'll take the kids and leave. Go to Iceberg to your parents and never return. I know Natsu and Zeref are not children anymore and they'll probably refuse to leave, but I want them out of harm's way. Promise me that when I tell you, you'll leave everything back."

Grandeen teared up. Her husband's eyes had never conveyed so much defeat before. She was so used to him being always optimistic and full of joy, that the condition he was in now made her heart clench painfully.

"I don't was to leave you alone." She muttered, diving in his hug for comfort. All the happy memories they had created together came crashing down on her and the undying love she had developed for him since she was just a young girl, made the thought of leaving him behind unbearable.

"And I don't want to live knowing I'm the reason my family got hurt. Grandeen, I love you. I promised you though on our wedding day that I'll keep you safe, even if it means I have to see you go. The fact your sister threatened my manhood that day, doesn't have to do with any of this." Igneel tried to lighten the mood, earning him a slap on the chest by his wife and a watery smile. A small chuckle left him as she tried wiping away her tears while cursing him for his incurable immaturity.

"Let's retire for today." The silver haired woman nodded, letting her husband lead her as she took comfort in his warmth. That night she prayed to not see her family getting ripped apart.

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A/N: Lately, I've been working on many different one-shots and this one came up as a result of a multi chapter story I've been working on. Unfortunately, I lost the inspiratiom I had to continue working on it, so after a bit of editing on my part, I came up with this one-shot. Hopefully, you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it!

Please, fell free to review and highlight any mistakes I could have possibly made. Constructive critisism is well appreciated!


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